


You Snooze, You Lose

by keepingeyesclosed



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Cute, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Full-time fanfic, I'm in Seven Hell™, OC, THERE WILL BE A CAT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-16 00:23:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8079607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepingeyesclosed/pseuds/keepingeyesclosed
Summary: If Luciel had to associate his life with a book, he would choose A Series Of Unfortunate Events.He was born into an abusive family that was beyond dysfunctional, his brother was brainwashed and tortured by people he thought were his best friends, and he pushed away the girl he loves to the point where she thought he hated her guts. All she's ever done was care, comfort, and support him. Not to mention she saved him, and his brother's life.To be fair, that was after he told her that he didn't want/need her and she was delusional to think that she ever did.So here he is, trapped behind a barrier she designed ever-so-carefully so that she can help him, but he can't reach in and touch her. What irks him even more is that Mista Trust Fund Kid™ just swooped in and opened a door through her walls like it was nothing.How does that saying go again?You snooze, you lose?// This story contains slight spoilers for Seven's route, however, I'm putting my own creative twist to the plot. It's... Kinda a big twist. The outcome is completely different. It will contain lot's of fluff, angst, and friendship galore. Although I can appreciate angst, I'm a sucker for happiness. Enjoy! //





	1. A Force To Be Reckoned With

**"I told you: I don't want you to take care of me. Wha- No! Quit being a pest. Don't talk to me, I'm busy working."**

You flinch, your shy smile immediately dropping from your face. The bento box you're holding almost slips from your arms and you fumble a moment, trying to get a better grip. Holding the box close to your chest, you try desperately to fight down the ever-growing lump in your throat. You're trying so hard you didn't realize that half of the aching in your chest was caused by you holding your breath.

"Sorry..." You gasp out weakly, nearly tripping over your own feet in your effort to dash off to the kitchen. Seven made no acknowledgment that you even said anything; his eyes were back on his screen, his headphones pulled over his ears. You turn away from him and lean against the counter. 

_I must look like a fool,_ you think as you gently put down the bento in fear of making the slightest noise and disturb him.

_God... I'm worried about that, of all things? Well, he didn't even look at me this time, so I highly doubt he caught my idiocy._

You close your eyes, attempting to untwist the horrible churning knot in your chest that made it nearly impossible to breathe... But the more you tried, the more it expanded and contracted, tightening around your heart like a vice. All your emotions: hurt, confusion, helplessness, concern, and the mother of this whole shitstorm: self-loathing, made up the world in which you're currently living. How did this happen? He told you... He told you that his job made him dangerous. You understood that. Yeah, you're an huge goof who laughs about your problems rather than resolving them, but you know to be serious. Especially when it comes to people you care about. You couldn't care less about what happens to yourself, what matters most to you is making everyone happy. And that's why you clicked so well with him. You have an impeccable understanding of the world and the people in it as it is, but Seven... You just _get_ him. 

You had a feeling from the beginning that you two weren't so different, so you attempted to get closer to him. But he had _none of that._ At the mere suggestion of you knowing who he really is, he shut down. But at the same time he... Didn't...? It was strange. He'd flirt and butt in whenever anyone on the RFA tried to steal your attention, but when you tried returning his flirtatious remarks or asking about him he either 1) laughed and changed the subject or 2) denied any feelings for you. But just because his emotions supposedly ceased, doesn't mean that yours didn't. In fact, your affection for him (much to your frustration) grew stronger and stronger, and it got to the point where you would tear down mountains and battle aliens for him if he needed it.

He led you on to the point where he had you in the palm of his hand, then crushed any hopes you had of a deeper relationship.

Actually, scratch that. He didn't even want to be your _friend_ anymore.

You inhale deeply through your nose, numbing any urge you have to cry. Crying is never an option. Ever. It doesn't make your problems go away, it doesn't make you feel better... If anything it just makes your face wet and puffy.

You slide to the kitchen floor and hit the cool tile. Relax. Focus on breathing. Just focus on the small things, you tell yourself. How can you help? How can you fix this? Is there anything you can possibly do?

Of course you haven't given up. Yes, Seven has hurt you. Yes, you have every reason to hate him. But you can't, and even if you could, you won't. That's just not how you work.

You're (Y/N). You're known to be gentle, happy and not easily phased. You're not much fighter when it comes down to it. You can't hold a grudge. You don't have much of a will to protect yourself. You prefer joking your way out of a cruel situation rather than standing your ground. But that's _you._ It's an entirely different story when someone else is in danger.

_Because when you see a loved one in pain, you're a force to be reckoned with._


	2. You Got Played

_I have to get him out of this rut somehow... Wait wait, I'm thinking too far ahead again! I just need to get him to talk to me. That's the first step. I mean, I've lost track of how many times I've approached him got denied, but if I've learned anything from videogames is that if you do something enough times it'll work! Just stay positive. Stay positive._

You sigh, reblogging a post and mentally repeating happy words you wish you could believe wholeheartedly. This last day has been horrible for you. You're caught in a vicious cycle of engaging Seven in conversation, being brutally rejected, going back to bed, wrapping yourself in covers to browse Tumblr and plot your next move... Rinse and repeat. You feel yourself slowly getting beaten down by this whole ordeal. His harsh words cut deeper than any knife, and you find yourself if you're doing the right thing pushing yourself this much. You've made yourself so vulnerable to him in order to connect... What if he really hurts you?

You shake your head, pulling your bed covers tighter around you. Seven wouldn't do that. He's just trying to protect you, that's all. Something really serious is happening to him, and although you're not entirely sure what, you figured that it's serious enough to be life threatening to not only him, but the whole RFA. And hell, you're not going to pull up a chair and watch as Seven shoulders all the weight of this shitfest.

"Seven?" You call out from your bed, newfound determination prominent in your voice. He doesn't look up from the glow of his screen, but he grunts in response.

"I really need your full attention right now... Please?" You throw off your covers and stand up, mustering the resolve to defend against his attacks if worse came to worst. He sighs irritably, ripping off his headphones and casting you a glance of disdain.

"What is it now? I told you a hundred times, I'm working--"

"I know and I'm sorry for taking your time, but this is important." You say almost robotically, throwing him off, "You won't tell me what's going on, but I've been picking up bits and pieces... Basically, I understand the gravity of the situation. And no, I'm not talking about the bomb that I've living with, I'm talking about your job."

"Stop talking. You don't--" he scoffs, but you don't give him a chance to finish.

"No! I won't _stop talking_." You state coldly, absolutely stunning him into silence.

_Yeah, that's right. No more miss-mellow-nice guy. Now it's my turn to speak my mind, and shit, I have a lot to say._

"You don't have to do everything yourself, Luciel. I can see how much you're going through... I don't know the details, but I can see in your eyes how much you're struggling." You say softly, "You're probably used to doing things yourself... But it's okay to ask for help. Let me help you. Let me protect you. There has to be something I can do."

Seven sits on the couch, his laptop perched precariously on his knee, eyes wide and blank of emotion.

"I don't need your help." He says robotically, "Just stop. You're wasting my time--"

"Did you hear me at all?" You rub your forehead in frustration, "Don't push me away! It's not like you to..."

"...It's not like me?" He mutters, the laptop toppling from his leg as he stood up from his seat. He ambles towards you, a menacing aura radiating off him. You hesitate, taking a step back. This was not the expected reaction.

_Something feels horribly wrong._

"I know... I know you're acting this way to protect--" You're cut off by Seven, who has you back against the wall. He shushes you before you can continue.

 _"You don't know jack shit about me."_ He hisses, dissolving any bravery you previously possessed with a single sentence, "God, you're really pissing me off. Not everything is about you, you know?"

He towers over you, and you shrink under his patronising glare. A million thoughts race through your head, second-guessing every theory and question you've conjured about him... And for the first time, you feel anxious and unsafe in his presence.

"I-I know it's not!" You protest, "I'm worried--"

**Thud.**

You flinch as his hand slams into the wall behind you, but is apathetic expression scares you more than the violence.

"I don't want your concern. It doesn't benefit me at all, if anything it drags me down," He says coolly, his hand curling into a fist, "This isn't about you, or the RFA, or the bomb, or even my agency. I have a score to settle with V, and what that means is none of your fucking business. In fact,"

His arm slips to his side, and he cocks his head at you. Your heart plummets to your stomach at his words:

 _"You had no right to get close to me in the first place. You should have never joined the RFA."_ He says indifferently, _"Would've saved me a headache."_

An intangible heaviness settles between the two of you. It feels as if time stopped, and the only things occurring in this moment are pain and the crushing realization that you may have romanticized your entire relationship. He doused out your last flame of hope, but even so, you can't give up now... There has to be a reason...

"I still believe in you, Luciel." You say unsteadily, doing your best to not break down, "This is a difficult time, but we can get through it..."

"There is no _'we'_ , (Y/N). There never was, and never will be. Did you really think I care for you? I must say, it's pretty pathetic that you fell for such obvious lies." He scoffs, and you physically feel dangling pieces of your being snap and shatter. Your face feels wet. Shit, are you crying? You are.

You take a deep breath, steadying your rapid heartbeat. You have to stand your ground. Showing weakness in front of him makes you feel powerless. Did you even have power to begin with?

"But... Nothing you're saying is making any sense!" You furiously wipe your face, "Why would you bother lying? If your only goal here is to get what you want, then why would you say those things about thinking about me?! Why would you be constantly checking the CCTV to make sure I'm okay? Is all this just some sick joke to you?!" You yell, gesturing to him and everything around you. Everything is breaking faster than you can fix it, and it's driving you over the edge.

"Yeah. That's a pretty good way to put it." Seven shrugs and saunters over the laptop and grabs his headphones. He's slipping away...

"Luciel." You choke out, "Please..."

"You _really_ don't know when to quit, do you?" He snaps, slipping his headphones over his neck and flinging his body on the couch tiredly. Your entire frame shakes in grief. You can't take it anymore.

"Get out."

He looks up briefly, a hint of confusion on his face, "What?"

"You heard me. Get out." You say, avoiding eye contact, "I need to pack."

"Where are you going?"

"Jaehee's."

You're already grabbing an empty bag, absentmindedly picking up a few essentials and stuffing them in.

"Just ignore me. I won't stop you." He watches you move about the livingroom, astounded at your sudden change of heart. Did... Did he break you?

"Hahah! Ignore me, he says." You snort, accidentally packing a vase in the heat of the moment, "Let's not mention the elephant in the room, shall we? Oh, don't mind me. I'm just going to ignore the massive lie _lounging in the middle of the living room--_ "

"I get it, I get it. Take your time." He seethes, turning his face away from you and rushing out of the room.

You hear the front door slam behind him.

You stand alone in the middle of the empty living room, your half-packed bag in hand.

You wait a moment...

Silence.

He's gone.

_Or perhaps he's been gone since the beginning._

Reality hits you like a freight train, nearly knocking the wind out of you and urging you to just lay on the ground and sink into the earth. You could scream, cry, wreak havoc, do anything to lessen the pain... But you don't.

You pick up your phone and shoot Jaehee a short explanation and semi-apologetic text about your current situation.

You pack the last of your belongings quickly and efficiently, wiping any trace of you from the apartment.

You slip on your favorite hoodie, sling your bag over your shoulder, and you're about to leave...

Then you glance over at Seven's laptop.

*****

You close and lock the front door behind you, doing a double take. Seven is nowhere in sight. Keeping your head down and your hands in your pockets, you stay alert for any possible threats. Can't be too careful, right?

You speedwalk to the nearest bus stop to the Central business district, where Jaehee lives.

You've thought about Seven's words over and over, deciphering and dissecting them to their core meaning, but to no avail. Anxious to get to your friend, you pick up the pace a bit.

 _He's so full of shit..._ , you think as you swallow down the lump in your throat, _but he was right about one thing..._

You reach deep into your pocket and tightly grasp a tiny USB containing Seven's files.

_I don't know when to quit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooOOO we're having a sleepover at Jaehee's are you excited or wHAT???? #Besties #CoffeeNerds


	3. Furry White Fluff

You knock on Jaehee's apartment door and take a step back. No response. You look around the hallway, absentmindedly taking in your surroundings. Beige walls. Bare of decorations. Bleak, yet comforting in it's own way.

_Bare._

_Beige._

_Bleak._

_Triple B._

_B cubed._

_..._

_What have I become._

You roll your head back, stare at the ceiling and groan. Your inability to stay in the moment and think like a normal human being is getting on your nerves. It didn't before, you made peace with your strange nature a long, long time ago, but now... Now it just felt wrong. But as of late, feeling wrong isn't too abnormal. Maybe you just feel you're wrong no matter what you do. Maybe you're actually the human manifestation of a calculus exam. Just a whole 'lotta wrong, packed up in whole 'lotta mess. You chuckle to yourself at the thought... You've really hit rock bottom if you start to relate to math.

You roll on the balls of your feet anxiously. You open your phone to check the time. It's nearly eight AM. Is Jaehee busy? She texted you earlier, giving you all-clear to stay at her place until everything settles down. You two are very close, as you have had some pretty personal conversations with her, and you both share a love for coffee... But this is your first time meeting her in person.

Holy shit.

_This is my first time meeting her in person._

A new wave of anxiety rains it's love upon you. Are you being too intrusive? This is too informal, isn't it? Oh jeez, what if she changed her mind about letting you stay with her? Augh! You should leave before she sees you! The highway overpass wouldn't be such a bad place to sleep anyways.

The door creaks open and you freeze.

So much for the highway overpass.

"Good morning." Jaehee sees you and widens the door. Black pencil skirt, white blouse and a suit jacket... She looks sharp, like she was just heading to work. Wait... That fur on her skirt? Now that you noticed, there's white hair everywhere, and her hair is ruffled like she got in a fight with an angry polar bear rug. Heh, she's even cuter than the pictures.

While you stand there Jaehee looks you over, her face void of any expression.

"Can I... Help you?"

You snap out of your haze.

"O-oh, no. I mean, yes! Not really? Good god, this keeps getting worse and worse..." You flush and take a deep breath while Jaehee, being very puzzled, watches your antics.

"What I mean to say is... Hello, I'm (Y/N)." You say politely, "I'm sorry if this is too sudden, but you're the only person I feel comfortable with staying with during all this chaos. If this is bad time, I can find another place to stay."

A flash of recognition is seen in her eyes, and she nods.

"Oh, (Y/N). It's a pleasure to meet you..." She sighs and relaxes a bit, running her hands through her disheveled hair.

"It's not a bother having you over. I understand this is a difficult time for everyone, and even more so for you. Actually..." She hesitates, but continues, "I want to be with someone too. With V gone and Luciel collapsing, I feel like I've lost some stability. So... I'm glad you're here."

She radiates an aura of motherly warmth and it makes you want to pull her into a massive bear hug. You're so glad you didn't leave.

"Haha..." You grin weakly, "You're laying it on thick, Jaehee. It's getting real emotional in here. But for what it's worth, I really appreciate what you're doing for me. It means a lot."

"Of course." She gives you a small smile, rolling her eyes at your satirical comments, "Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, please."

She steps aside, and you're about to walk in when...

**Thup-thup thup-thup _thup-thup thup-thup_**

A bolt of white dashes out the door in a furry blur, startling you so much that you jumped to the side.

_What on earth...?_

You jerk your head in the direction of the flying fuzzball just in time to see it turn the corner of the hallway. You glance at Jaehee.

"Was that... What I thought it was?" You question, squinting your eyes at her.

This woman is done. Total goner. She's staring off into space with an expression that could rival the dead, muttering incoherently under her breath. You catch her saying something along the lines of, "I have to leave in five minutes. _Five minutes._ " and "I don't get paid enough for this shit". She even cussed. You know things are bad when Jaehee get's all foulmouthed.

"Jaehee." You put your hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to the land of the living, "If you give me your keys, I can catch Elizabeth and take care of her while you're at work..."

The look she gives you is absolutely pitiful. You almost cry at the helplessness in her gaze.

"Would you..." She squeaks, "Would you do that for me?"

"Of course," You nod vigorously, "Get going-- _Oh, keys!_ "

Jaehee is halfway down the hallway at 'get going', but she turns around for a split second to fling you the keys to her apartment, which you catch midair. Damn, you're in sync.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge, I'll text you details on how to take care of the cat!" Jaehee shouts over her shoulder, her voice getting fainter the farther she jogs, "Thank you so much (Y/N)!"

"No problem! Godspeed, my queen." You salute her, silently wishing her a safe trip to the office, and sprint off in the opposite direction to find your problematic fave cat.

*********

**_\- (Y/N) has entered the room -_ **

**[ Yoosung✧ ] If you think objectively, mayonnaise CAN be an instrument!!!**

**[ ZEN ] No... Yoosung... It really can't.**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Not with _that_ attitude. if buckets can be instruments so can mayo!!**

**[ ZEN ] Wait, isn't (Y/N) here?**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Oh, she is! hi (Y/N)~**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] (^ヮ^)*:･ﾟ✧**

**[ Y/N ] Hello Yoosung, Zen ♡ how are you?**

**[ ZEN ] Hey babe~ I'm alright, the bodyguards are giving me a break. I'm more worried about you, honestly.**

**[ ZEN ] (*˘︶゜*)~♡**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] I'm doing alright too! But...**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Why did u give Zen a heart and not me?**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] (｡ŏ﹏ŏ)**

**[ ZEN ] Omg lololol**

**[ ZEN ] Maybe she likes me more than you?**

**[ ZEN ] It's okay to admit your feelings (Y/N). Don't be shy.**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] ew.**

**[ Y/N ] Yoosung ♡ and Zen ♡**

**[ Y/N ] Happy now? You guys are such babies~**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] I'm not a baby!!? But yay ♡**

**[ ZEN ] You're too nice (Y/N).**

**[ ZEN ] How have you made it this far**

**[ ZEN ] Without getting eaten alive by men?**

**[ Y/N ] Who says I haven't~?**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] ( ʘ ∧ ʘ ) . . .**

**[ ZEN ] ...**

**[ ZEN ] WHAT.**

**[ Y/N ] jk jk jk jk jk**

**[ ZEN ] _You'd better be joking, little lady._**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Scary...**

**[ Y/N ] ( ゜︶ ゜)**

**[ ZEN ] I don't know what that smile means, and I'm going to choose to ignore it.**

**[ ZEN ] On another note, how are you and Seven doing?**

 

Your heart jumps to your throat at his name. You've avoided thinking about him for the sake of your mental health day, but... You can't seem to avoid him. In your mind, or in reality. According to the clock, it's seven twice a day, but for you it's Seven every minute.

_That was a sick pun though, I gotta hand it to me._

You're sitting on Jaehee's cute little loveseat in front of the TV, eating a bowl of raw cookie dough and meditating. Somewhat. You're just kinda curled in a ball with Elizabeth 3rd cuddling against your chest as you text back and forth with Zen and Yoosung. You feel in your element, with your messy hair up in a bun and your big comfy sweatshirt absorbing all your woes.

_How dramatic._

 

**[ Y/N ] Yeah, uh, about that...**

**[ Y/N ] I left the apartment...**

**[ ZEN ] WJAT**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Typo**

**[ ZEN ] WHAT HAPPENRD**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Typo;;**

**[ ZEN ] WHERE ARE YPU**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Typo?;;;;;;;;;**

**[ Y/N ] Relax Zen, I'm okay. I just got into a fight with Seven and I left.**

**[ Y/N ] I'm staying with Jaehee for now.**

**[ Y/N ] I also finished coordinating with the guests before I left, so if everything works out the party is still on.**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] You finished emailing ALL THE GUESTS??**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] That's amazing**

**[ Y/N ] it wasn’t too hard, but thxx**

**[ Y/N ] ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

**[ ZEN ] Thank god you're okay... But you fought with Seven?**

**[ ZEN ] Like a lover's quarrel?**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Zen;;;;;;; are you serious**

**[ ZEN ] Why wouldn’t I be?**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Think of how well Seven and (Y/N) get along.**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] Now consider of Seven's state of mind**

**[ Yoosung✧ ] if they got in a fight...**

**[ ZEN ] Oh.**

**[ ZEN ] _It must've been bad._**

**[ ZEN ] (Y/N), are you okay?**

You smile to yourself. _They’re worried about you..._

But there’s no way in hell you can tell them what went down at the apartment. At least, not right now. You don’t have answers. Once you get to the bottom of the situation, and hopefully talk with Seven at least one last time, then you can let them know what’s happening.

 

**[ Y/N ] I’m fit as a fiddle, Zenny~ ^^**

**[ ZEN ] Pfft.**

**[ ZEN ] ♡ You’re cute. ♡  
**

**[ ZEN ] Makes me want to squeeze you...**

****[ Yoosung✧ ] No.** **

****[ ZEN ] What?** **

**********[ Yoosung✧ ] Dude, she’s spoken for........** ** **  
** **

**************[ ZEN ] Whaaaaaat are you going on about;;;;;** **  
** ** ** ** **

******[ Yoosung✧ ] don’t worry (Y/N), since Seven is busy, I’ll protect you from Zen!!** ** **

******  
** ** **

Ouch.

******  
** ** **

******[ ZEN ] I’ll do what I want.** ** **

******[ ZEN ] With the lady’s consent, of course.** ** **

**[ Yoosung✧ ] rdhrdhft;;5wfht**

**[ ZEN ] **(*˘︶゜*)~♡****

****[ Y/N ] Ohhhhh boi** **

****[ Y/N ] Things are stirring up in here** **

****[ Y/N ] Brb grabbing popcorn** **

****[ ZEN ] lololol** **

******[ ZEN ] You can’t spectate a fight that you’re part of, babe~**  
** **

********[ Yoosung✧ ] Hey!! keep that nickname out of your mouth--**  
** ** **

****  
** **

You’re silently shaking in laughter, careful not to wake the sleeping kitty who has migrated to your stomach and made a nest in the folds of your hoodie. You pet her ears softly, feeling her purr against your torso... It calms your ever-racing mind.

Truth be told, before this conversation... You were contemplating bringing up leaving the RFA. It would make the most sense right? After everything that’s happened. But after seeing how passionately they care for you and how right it feels to be with them, you decided not to. Can’t even imagine the hell that would break loose by even _mentioning_ such a thing.

You chat with Zen and Yoosung for a bit longer, but it was getting late, and you have to get some sleep. You glance over to the front pocket of your bag, where the USB resides.

_I have a lot of work to do._

_  
_

**[ Y/N ] Hey guys, I’m gonna pass out. It’s been a long day ^^**

******[ Yoosung✧ ] Goodnight (Y/N), sleep tight** ** **

**********[ Yoosung✧ ] Don’t let the bed bugs bite~** **  
** ** **

**********[ ZEN ] Sweet dreams... Think of me to help you fall asleep ** **♡****** ** ** ** **

********************[ Yoosung✧ ] Yeah!! think of Zen ^^** ** **  
** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ Yoosung✧ ] maybe he’ll bore you to sleep.** ** **  
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ Y/N ] Oh god.** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ Y/N ] Rest In Pieces.** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ ZEN ] WHAT** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ ZEN ] THE** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ ZEN ] ACTUAL** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ Yoosung✧ ] wait, (Y/N)!!!!** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**************************[ Y/N ] Text me what kind of flowers you’d like for ur funeral** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

****************************************************[ ZEN ] I’m coming over Yoosung** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**[ Y/N ] Byeeee~**

**************************[ Yoosung✧ ] pls no, i’m too young to die ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **T_T**************************  save me** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

****************************************************[ Y/N ] Sorry Yoosung. You had a good run tho** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **  
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

********************************************************************************************************[ Yoosung✧ ] what are you talkinG ABOUT I DONT EXERCISE** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **  
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

******************************************************************************_\- (Y/N) has left the room -_ ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who we meetin next chapter ;^)


	4. Anxiety or Terminal Illness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o boi Seven shenanigans

Seven was sure he has come down with the flu, because there's no way that his anxiety can induce this many physical symptoms.

It's been a few hours since you left the apartment. At first he was relieved, he felt like he could actually breathe again. You were out of danger, away from the bomb and away from him. But no more than fifteen minutes passed when he realized: You left a great amount of danger only to be thrown into a _greater_ amount of danger. Who knows what could happen to you? Saeran could find you. Someone might kidnap you. Vanderwood wouldn't hesitate to hurt you for Seven's location, which he _knows_ you wouldn't give. God, you're too selfless, too trusting... People like you get eaten alive. He should've made you stay. He went too far, he drove you off to the point where he can't watch you. 

_But-- She just kept pushing me! How am I supposed to keep her safe if she doesn't understand that her life is in danger?!_

_But also... She said she understands the gravity of the situation. So does she just not care about what happens to her? Hell, I'm not sure which one is more concerning._

_Calm down, Luciel. It's fine, you made the right choice. She got out in time. She's won't try to get close to you anymore. She won't get hurt. It's fine, it's fine, focus, focus, focus, focus..._

_..._

_UGH I HAVE TO TEXT HER OR AT LEAST TRACK HER PHONE WHAT IF SHE GOT LOST ON THE WAY TO JAEHEE'S OR SHE FELL ASLEEP ON THE BUS AND ENDED UP IN A DIFFERENT CITY--_

Seven groans, slamming the back of his head into the headrest of the couch. His laptop, the only light source in the room, casts a artificial glow that highlighted the dark circles under his eyes. Stress has accumulated to the point where he couldn't eat, and his anxiety made him nauseous even at the thought of food. He's always been a mess, but at this point in time he's really cornering the market. He still hasn't tracked Saeran's location, let alone the work for his agency... Which would literally kill him if he didn't finish in the next forty-eight hours.

And you. You're a dilemma that he simply can't figure out. Work is easy, once he get's his head in the game. But you're taking up 82.9% of his thoughts rounded to the nearest tenth, so he only has 17.1% of his head to spare. He knows that for a fact because he calculated that to stop himself from checking up on you every 2.35 seconds, which he also timed. He drags both his hands down his face, nearly crushing his glasses in the process.

_I have to know where she is..._

He looks at the RFA log tab. Maybe he could salvage your personal cell phone number from the records.

_No, I can't! I have to work. I have to finish._

_But if I can't focus because of her, then why even bother trying?_

And before he even registered what he was doing, he had your number in his hands.

*****

You're gently shaken awake by... Someone. It didn't occur to you that there was a stranger hovering over you because it was past midnight and the only light in the room came from the open door to the hallway. You blink lazily at the dark silhouette, then slowly close again as you curl closer to the cat, who snuggles deeper into your hoodie. 

"Excuse me." a deep, monotone voice spoke, stirring you from your stupor, "Who are you."

He- you assumed it was a man- spoke with no emotion, so he sort of _commanded_ rather than _asked_ you the question. You yawned a little, rubbing your face to bring yourself out of your dreamworld and into reality. You sit up a bit and prop yourself on your elbow, your brain still dull from exhaustion. You look up at the man... And the shadiness of the situation clicked.

Now, the next few events are going to seem absolutely ridiculous, but consider this:

You're being chased by a hacker.

Your ex-best-friend works at an organization that would kill him for a careless joke.

You have a USB filled to the kilobyte with classified information.

So you're just a _little_ on edge. Your eyes snap open wide, you grab the thing nearest to you and chuck it at the figure, who barely dodged your throw. As the object collides with the wall behind him, it shatters, further distracting him as you grab Elizabeth and make a dash for the kitchen to hopefully find a means to defend yourself. But before you could reach the doorway, the man grabs you by the arm and slams you into wall, making you drop the cat and gasp in pain. You struggle for a few seconds, but you soon realize that he's easily overpowering you. You're about to start monologuing until you find a way to get free, but he beats you to the punch.

"I'm not sure how you thought a plan like that would ever work." He says smoothly, as if you hadn't just attacked him earlier, "Now who exactly are you? And please spare both of us the hassle and tell the truth."

"I'm not sure how you think you're in a position to ask me _anything._ " You retort, an ironic smile pulling at your lips, "You're the one breaking and entering."

The grip around your wrists tighten, and you grimace. He did _not_ like _that_ answer. You try to make out the man's face, but the positioning of the shadows make it nearly impossible to see...

"You're the one assaulting others." He says, a hint of irritation noticeable in his tone, "Who are you?"

You laugh at his response.

"Well, what would _you_ do in my situation, mister high-and-mighty?" You spit, "I'm not telling you shit."

"I don't like repeating myself." He growls, making you shudder, "This is your last chance before I call authorities."

"That wouldn't really go in your favor though now, would it--"

**Click.**

Both your heads snap in the direction of the noise to see a bedheaded Jaehee flicking on the lightswitch, looking very tired and very unhappy. She looks at you, then to the intruder, then back to you.

"Mr. Han." She states, her eyebrow twitching, "It is twelve-forty AM, two hours past the alotted time for you to pick up Elizabeth. And if you're going to make a move on (Y/N), please refrain from doing so in my home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's 2 am and I wrote more but I didn't feel like finishing so I cut off the chapter and decided to continue it next time ;^)


	5. Does Jumin Han Is Generous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #awkwarddddddd

You shift your eyes back to your attacker, and lo and behold, the famous Jumin Han is standing in front of you. He's looking you over as well, eyes wide and face blank. Jaehee doesn't stick around to listen to whatever Jumin has to say. She is outta here. Folding her arms over her chest, she closes her eyes and stalks off into the direction of her bedroom, leaving you and Jumin alone. 

_Lord, just let me die. Right here, right now._

Your arms are still pinned to the wall, but you aren't sure how to ask Jumin to let go without making the situation more awkward than it already was. If that was even possible. You felt small under his analytical gaze, and you can't maintain his steady eye contact with him for more than a few seconds. After what felt like hours, you decide to clear your throat.

"Uhm, hi there... Jumin..." You look to the side, "This isn't really how I wanted to meet you... But, uh, yeah. Could you maybe... Let me go?"

He takes a few more seconds before he snaps out of it, releasing your arms and stepping back. You mutter a meek 'thank you' and rub your wrists, not sure if you should laugh this scenario off or move to a different country.

"Apologies." Jumin nods respectfully, "I was not aware you were visiting Assistant Kang's residence."

He's so formal, it's a little uncomfortable for you. You're don't know how to respond to him. He turns to the dent in the wall opposite of you both, where you threw the object at him.

"I also apologize for your phone." He looks back at you, "Although it was not technically my doing, it's still a shame..."

"Wait. My phone?" You suddenly burst out, striding towards the couch. A feeling of dread comes over you. You peer over the backrest and sure enough, there lies your phone, shattered in pieces on the ground.

You kneel down, looking at the product of your unnecessary attack on Jumin. This is fine. This is simply grand. You didn't need a form of communication or comfort anyways, so this works out great.

"Awesome." You say in a tone that suggests the exact _opposite_ of what you're saying. You hear Jumin approach and stand behind you, watching you silently. A little unsettling, as you don't know what hes thinking, but you understand that he's not really one to waste words.

"I'm really sorry about this..." You laugh sheepishly, reaching for the broken glass to clean it up, "I thought you were a threat. Like, the hacker or something... Actually, I don't know what I thought. I'm a little high-strung as of late--"

Before you could touch the glass, he stoops down and grasps your hand. You flinch, which doesn't go unnoticed by him.

_This guy sure is grabby._

"What is it? I'm... Trying to clean up." 

"You'll cut yourself." He says, not letting go of your hand. You're progressively getting more and more confused. You recall him saying in the messenger that he avoids even being the same vicinity as women. And last you checked, you're a woman. Of sorts. He's just met you as well, there's no way he's comfortable with you already...

Oh lord.

Maybe he doesn't consider you a woman, seeing as he knows you from the chat. It would make sense.

Not that it bothers you, per se, but still...

"Thanks for your concern, but I got this. Not my first time cleaning broken glass." You wave him off with a smile. His eyebrows furrow, but he complies and let's go. You carefully pick up the glass, making sure to only touch the flat surfaces. When you gathered as much as you could, then stand up and walk to the kitchen and throw it away.

All while Jumin stands there.

Watching.

 _Jeez... I should say something_ , you think as you walk back to the livingroom, _what do you say to a guy you chucked your phone at a few minutes ago? 'Hey man, I know I almost gave you a concussion but I think we can put that behind us and become friends. Whaddya say, pal?_

"Why'd you grab Elizabeth 3rd when you were trying to get away?" Jumin asks suddenly, breaking your train of thought. You look at him and fiddle with your the hem of your sweatshirt.

"Why wouldn't I?" You shrug, "What if you really were a threat?"

"You could've made it to the kitchen if you hadn't stopped for her. So, why?"

"I don't know, man--"

"Man...?" He cocks his head at you, confusion apparent on his face. He kinda reminds you of a little kid like that.

"--Sorry. It slipped out." You grin, eyes crinkling, "But there was no way I was going to leave her. I wasn't trying to take her from you, if that's what you're worried about."

"I gathered that, at least." He affirms, "What I don't understand is why you'd go so far for a cat. Elizabeth means a lot to me, but not to anyone else."

"Why is this so important for you to know?" You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms amusedly.

"I'd like to understand."

"Well, sorry I don't make sense, I rarely do." You laugh, "I'm not easily understood, Jumin. You know-- I'll tell you what. If I ever figure out why I care so much, I'll give you a call and give you a synopsis on my thought process."

"You apologize a lot."

"You grab people's arms a lot. I guess we both have things to work on." You say good-naturedly, "And, uhm... As much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I need to go to sleep... I have a lot of stuff to do tomorrow."

"Of course. I'll take my leave shortly." He nods, "May I ask what you have to do?"

"You may! I'm going to have to replace my phone... Get coffee..." You stare off into space, trying to find a way to say what you're doing without leaking that you're gonna go through possibly life-threatening classified information.

"I'm doing a few party prep things?"

"You don't sound so sure about that."

"I just had to think about it for a moment. Don't read into it, I can't have my secrets revealed." You joke with a layer of honesty beneath the humor. He chuckles politely at your quirky comments, but reacts no further. You have a gut feeling that he's evaluating you. Like he's trying to decide whether to like you or not.

It's strange.

"I'd like to replace your phone for you." Jumin says, breaking the heavy silence. And of course, you being the stubborn, independent (and broke) little shit you are, you immediately decline.

"No no, it's fine." You say hurriedly, "I can't just spend your money like that, I broke it and I can take care of myself."

"It's no trouble." Jumin says offhandedly, "Think of it as gift. For nearly scaring you shitless."

You're caught off guard by him suddenly cussing, but not in a bad way. You're pleasantly surprised at the informality.

"Pfft, are you sure?" You giggle, "I mean, that's really generous of you, but I can handle it."

"As you may recall earlier, I said I don't like repeating myself. I'm giving you a gift, and gifts are to be accepted." He said, breaking eye contact for the first time this conversation. Is he... Flustered? That's kinda adorable.

You put your hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright." You say, "It's a little much, but thank you Jumin. That's really sweet of you."

"It's nothing, I assure you." He closes his eyes and regains his composure, "I'm sure you're very tired, so I'll be going."

He walks over to the couch and scoops up Elizabeth, how was just about to fall asleep. You could tell that she was not happy to be woken up for the second time. She squirms around for a moment, but Jumin softly rubs her head and calms her down, and she sinks into his arms.

"It was nice to meet you. I'll pick you up at nine tomorrow morning." He says. Huh. He didn't ask you if it that time works for you, but whatever...?

"It was nice to meet you too Jumin. It's been weird, but nice all the same." You state matter-of-factly. He genuinely smiles at this remark, and a little pride swells in your chest.

"You're honest, (Y/N)." He says, turning to leave. 

"It's very refreshing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super dissatisfied with this chapter but I hope you like it anyways


	6. System.out.println ("She's Alright.")

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *in which I use what little Java I know to bullshit some coolish-looking code*

****  
* {  
* public static void main ( String var[ ip_int ] ) {  
* System.out IP_int.name [ usage ]  
* return IP_int.name stat[ usage ]  
*  
_* Fetching stat[ usage ]. . . ._  
*  
*  
_* Status: offline.cont?_  
* }  
*} 

_Offline?_ Seven narrows his eyes at the code flashing on his screen. He's been tracking your phone for about an hour, and he's finally gotten through your phone carrier's security, but now he can't even pick up a signal. He can track the signal even if it's off or in airplane mode. The only way your phone couldn't be located is if it was dead... And you usually keep it charged. Seven's anxiety spikes drastically. What if you don't have a charger on you? Maybe you're lost, or someone hurt you... God, He couldn't bear the thought. He clenches his fists, his whole frame shaking in frustration.

_This is my fault._

_I should've made her stay._

_Even if she was set on leaving... I should've locked her in._

_If she get's hurt, it's on me._

_I have to fix this._

He takes a deep breath, taking all invasive thoughts of you in danger and putting them in the back of his mind. His worry doesn't mean anything, his actions do. And he can't work with all this shit on his mind. He rolls back his head, cracking his tense neck.

_Focus._

*** return IP_int.name stat[ (recent)usage ]**  
*  
_* Fetching stat[ (recent)usage ] . . . ._  
*  
*  
_* (recent)Status: last_seen 24.34_  
* }  
*} 

Okay, so your phone died at twelve thirty-four... That's about an hour ago. Maybe he can extract the nearest address from your IP. He can take action from there.

*** Println return IP_int.name stat[ (recent).securelocation ]**  
*  
_* Fetching stat[ (recent).securelocation )_  
*  
*  
_* (recent)Status: 47.2744° N, 122.3111° W_  
* Input var .securelocation ( via residence )  
*  
_* Inputting . . . ._

Seven lets out a sharp breath at the address on the screen. Your last location was at the apartment complex in the Central business district. _You're at Jaehee's._ All his anxiousness melts away and releases tension, and he sighs with relief. You made it over safely. It'd be nice to see you for himself that you're okay, but this'll have to do. Actually, does the building have CCTV security? He could just put together a quick method to hack in and get some footage...

_Luciel, what are you thinking?! It's fine. You know she's fine now, so you have to work!_

He shakes his head, saves, and switches tabs over to the Mint Eye info extraction program. Yeah, he's putting off his agency's work again. His brother is more important. _You_ are more important. It's good to know that you're where you should be, but it'd be nicer to see your face...

...

_It couldn't hurt to check for a CCTV system._

*****

You wake up slowly, a stream of sunlight hitting your face from a crack in the curtains. You groan and rub your face to ground yourself. You have get up. There's so much work, and so little time... And Seven's probably been working since you left, knowing him. He probably got a lot done without _you_ around. You swallow down the lump in your throat for the billionth time and throw off your blankets. If something bad happens to him, it's on you...

You yawn and stretch your sore muscles, your spine satisfyingly popping to place after a long night on the couch. You stand up and make your way to the kitchen. You aren't very hungry, but you need a cup of coffee before you pull out your laptop and go Sherlock Holmes on Seven's USB. Aaah, maybe Sherlock is a bit of a dramatization. He's way out of your league... Maybe Nancy Drew? No, she has the personality of a Fendi sweater.

You're opening cupboards, searching desperately for Jaehee's coffee. There's no way that woman operates without it, so you're confident she has some stashed somewhere.

_Oh my god. I'm a female Shawn Spencer. Yes._

You let out a little laugh at the thought. (Y/N) (L/N), psychic detective for the SBPD...

You're through nearly all the cupboards and there's still no sign of coffee. You have one last one to go. Your only beacon of hope. You reach for the cupboard above the stove, and...

_Jaehee, you queen._

Packed. Absolutely packed with coffee beans and grounds. Off to the side there's a mini espresso machine, and a bunch of different flavorings: Almond, vanilla, chocolate... You knew that Jaehee would have coffee, but you didn't know she was an _enthusiast._ You vaguely wonder why. Maybe you'll ask her later.

You pull down the vanilla and the medium roasted coffee grounds. You don't want to make too much of a mess, you're a lady of laziness. Setting the kettle to boil water, you retrieve a rather large cup to make your vanilla latte. You're not the best barista on the planet, but you know a thing or two about brewing. Once you have your setup, you go to the refrigerator for the milk. As you're reaching for the handle, a little note pinned to the door catches your eye. You tear it off and read:

**Good morning (Y/N),**

**I hope you slept well. I'm sorry I left before we had a chance to talk, I had to leave for the office early and I didn't want to wake you up. You seemed like you needed the sleep. I'm also very sorry about the incident with Mr. Han last night. It was quite unlike him to be so forceful, let alone intrusive. He explained to me earlier that there was a misunderstanding around who he was and why you were with Elizabeth 3rd. I really hope that's all that was.**

**Anyway, help yourself to any food I have in the house. I haven't gone shopping in a while though, so if you need anything specific, there's a convenience store two blocks South of the complex. If you do end up going there, would you mind picking up lint rollers, paper towels, and popcorn? Save the receipt, I'll pay you back.**

**Thank you, I'll see you tonight.**

**-Jaehee**

 

You giggle and snort at her formal speech. She's so sweet and accommodating... You didn't expect her to welcome you this warmly. Happiness flutters through your chest as you fold up the note and stuff it in your hoodie pocket. You're a sentimental little idiot, and this letter is certainly is a keeper.

*****

You balance your laptop on your knee and set down your cup o' caffeine on the coffee table. You haven't eaten, but you still feel like you're going to throw up. You know that what you're doing carries severe consequences if you're found out by the wrong person. Seven mentioned that being around him could get you killed... So handling this information could do much worse. You grab your messenger bag and dig out the USB. Holding the device between your thumb and forefinger, you stare it down.

_This little data storage can kill me._

_..._

_..._

_Well, if I'm gonna die, I might as well die a badass._

You flip the USB over and plug it into your laptop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like pretending that I know what I'm talking about :^)


	7. Lurking

The only sound emanating from the livingroom is the steady click clack of Seven's keyboard. He's been hacking at Mint Eye's mainframe and he surprised himself with how much progress he's made, considering how he has three tasks to keep track of. He's found Mint Eye's headquarters, found out the meaning behind the "everlasting party"... And why his brother's been behaving neurotically. He did all this while Saeran was actively rejecting his signals, and checking up on Jaehee's apartment CCTV every two minutes to see if you left. So yeah, pretty impressive. The great thing about suffering from chronic procrastination is that he get's twenty-four hours worth of work done in five.

He opens his own private cloud and imports Mint Eye's location and further details. While that's uploading, he quickly switches tabs to the CCTV. The camera is set in the hallway outside Jaehee's actual room, but beggars can't be choosers, right? As far as he can tell, you haven't left the apartment. He's flooded with relief, things are starting to look up. He switches to his agency's interface...

_Whoopsies._

His inbox is overflowing with messages and death threats, a few from his boss and this job commissioner. Most of them, however, are from the lovely Mary Vanderwood. He opens the message thread:

  


**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: Agent 707. The boss called immediately after you left. If you value your life at all, return immediately and finish your job.**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: Actually, return even if you don't care about life. I care about mine.**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: I swear- if you don't respond, I will lose all formality and find you before our agency does.**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: i WILL fucking murder you cheeky little shit i'm not joking**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: you're nuts. i hope you realize this.**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: seriously it's been HOURS**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: the agency is going ape shit right now. guesS WHO'S FAULT IS THAT????**

**[ DM ] Maid Lady Guy: I'm cutting my signal from the boss. I have no idea what's going on, but I'm coming to find you. No, I'm not going to kill you... Yet. But I promise this is going to end very poorly.  
**

Seven didn't realize he was grinning like a maniac at the texts until it was too late. Huh. Maybe lack of sleep combined with his morbid humor has taken over his brain. He tosses his phone to the couch cushion beside him and stretches. He's feeling pretty good, considering the circumstances. His brother is being drugged and tortured to the point where his sense of reality is warped, the girl he loves very likely hates his guts, and he's sure his ex-friend V lied to him about one of his most life-changing decisions. It's a miracle he hasn't spiraled into a pit of self-harm and depression. He would though if he could. Maybe he just doesn't have any room to be depressed, or lounge around on the couch for that matter.

He pushes himself up. The cloud has almost finished backing up his files, which he'll import to his phone for future use. He doesn't have much time before Saeran suspects something from his inactivity, so he packs up necessities for the drive, all the while keeping his eye on the CCTV for any sign of you leaving. The hallway is as still as a church, which is eerie in it's own way. He knows you well enough to know that you're very flighty when you're anxious, never staying in one place, never settling. When he was with you in Rika's apartment, you would fidget impatiently on your bed, wanting to get out and go to the convenience store or coffee shop. Sometimes you'd somersault onto the couch and do other sorts of ridiculous, odd, adorable things to distract yourself...

 _"Shit!"_ He roars suddenly at nobody in particular, "Shit, shit shit shit... Shit. You really did it this time, Luciel. Shit."

He clutches his head, the pain of losing you catching up to him. The realization tears through him harder than a bullet to the heart. You left. You're gone, and no amount of shits will bring you back. After all this is over, you will never welcome him again, and he'll have to be okay with that. How can he be okay with that?! How can he be part of the RFA, interact with you, and have you be cold towards him? The answer is simple:

_I can't._

He has to quit the RFA, then cut ties with everyone. It's the best thing to do, anyway. Everyone will surely protest, they'll try and get him to stay. And he'll want to. But what he wants doesn't matter: it never has, and it never will.

"It comes with the job." He mutters under his breath, absentmindedly picking up a few cables and shoving them into his duffel bag, "Agents aren't even supposed to have personal relationships in the first place..."

With a heavy heart, he packs the last of his things, leaving just his laptop. He double and triple checks to see has everything... He opens the front pocket of his bag to count his storage devices.

_One backup hard drive, his floppy disk, four, eight, twelve, sixteen, nineteen USBs. Alright, that's everything._

He pauses.

_Hold on._

He counts again. He didn't miss any, there's nineteen total. He checks other pockets, his hoodie, between the couch cushions...

_I could've sworn I brought twenty of those things._

Well, he was in a hurry to save you... He could've forgotten one in the heat of the moment. Everyone makes mistakes, even a perfectionist like him. It's the most logical explanation, but even so there's a inexplicable pit of anxiety in his stomach that just wouldn't leave.

He glances at the CCTV. No... You wouldn't.

Would you?

*********

_Damn fucking right I would._

Right as Seven throws his duffel back into the backseat of his fancy four-wheel drive, you're lurking through the files you imported from his laptop. There's many, many many folders and directories, but you're not worried about figuring out what exactly is going on. You have a knack for computers, even though you're not _educated_ in this area. After filtering through an abundant amount of goofy folders, memes, homemade pixel games, different CCTV records and app information, a certain... More sinister looking folder with a oddly normal name catches your eye:

**Ryuunrou Co.**

You open it and immediately confusion floods your mind. There are countless different folders... It hurts your head to think about how much time Seven must've spent on these. They're all labeled the same way, starting with PROJECT:, then a name you assume is code for something else, then ending with either a [ Complete ], [ Active ], or [ TERMINATED ]. You gape at the text, taken aback by the severity of his job. It makes you shiver.

_What the hell do you do, Seven?_

You click the only active folder entitled _PROJECT: Red Raven_ and another window pops up.

**[ Mission Class: Black Bag Job ]**  
**| Commissioner: // ENTER SS // |**  
**| Assigned: Agent Choi 707 - - - Role: Case Officer |**  
**| Associate: Agent Vanderwood 702 - - - Role: Nursemaid |**  
**| Covert Action Operation - - - _Eyes Only_. Enter Agent SS + ID to continue. |**

This is the job Seven couldn't finish. You're sure of it. A Black Bag Job... So he's in charge of a mission to retrieve illegal/unwarranted information from someone. Or something. You can only guess that information like that would be used for blackmail, or maybe a bargaining chip for something of more value. His associate is Vanderwood? His "maid". Wait--

Vanderwood... Maid... Nursemaid... Holy shit. You lean back into the couch, processing this new information. 

_Seven, you smartass._

If your secret agent lingo isn't wrong, Mary wasn't there to clean up Seven's house. She's his coordinator. The Nursemaid, similar to the Babysitter (also known as a bodyguard), is there to monitor operations and make sure he doesn't step out of line. But why would they assign him a Nursemaid in the first place? Did he do something to lose the agency's trust? You wouldn't put it past him, but you can't confirm that theory. You can't get further details without entering Seven's social security number and passcode, so investigating is off the table. You try opening a few other folders, completed and terminated, but you get the same or a similar window. You rub your temples in frustration. You finally had a lead, now you're back to square one. At least you know what his job entails now.

It's surreal, yet not entirely unbelievable.

You close out of the project folder and continue searching for more clues.

LOLOL and a few other games, memes, music, pictures, pictures, pictures... Pictures of you? You freeze, caught off guard when you stumble across a file with your name on it. Why would Seven have something like this? You hover your cursor over the icon, but a little voice in the back of your head stops you. _Save yourself the heartache, it's probably just stuff he gathered from your background check. You're leading yourself on, don't bother._

And so you move on.

The last place to check is his cloud. You click the shortcut to the app and your entire screen shifts, startling you a bit. Random numbers and emojis flash across your monitor, obviously just put there for effect. You snort at a picture of longcat that whizzes past your screen. Yeah, he definitely designed this network himself, and he probably did it in his free time. After ten seconds of comic relief, a password screen appears.

_Awh, come on!!_

You do your best to hold back a sigh. This isn't over yet, you just have to figure out his password. You rub your hands together, trying to pump yourself up.

_I can do this._

You think for a moment. Anyone's first guess would be something along the lines of _HoneyBuddha123_ or _CatscatscatscatsCats_ , but you know him better than that. Before being strange, spontaneous or anything, Seven is original. He probably came up with something well thought out. But how can you even start without a clue?

_A clue... Wait, that's it! Maybe he has a hint when you get it wrong!_

You type in a potential answer, and sure enough:

**|| ENTER PASSWORD: HarambeWasInnocent ||**  
**|| Your password is incorrect. ||**  
**|| Password hint: _^^ Yup. Dumbass._ ||**

You cock your head. What the... What? You read the self-deprecating password hint over and over, looking for a hidden meaning but you can't--

Oh.

_Oh._

Could it be...? You hold back a groan as you type out:

**|| ENTER PASSWORD: incorrect ||**  
**|| Salutations, God Seven. ||**

_That. Was. Awful._

You smile despite yourself at the cleverness. If you didn't know Seven, you wouldn't be able to get into his cloud, so in a way it's secure? But still. Back to business.

You look off to the file overlay and see that the last import was about ten minutes ago, and containing about eighteen gigs of data. Your eyes widen at the amount of memory he used. He must've stumbled across something really important, why else would he need to download this many files? You click the latest upload...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Vanderwood leaves Seven on a cliffhanger*
> 
> прощай, маленькое дерьмо


	8. Vanderwhat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **// IMPORTANT NOTE //**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **Intense drug abuse is mentioned in this chapter. It is a key point in Saeran’s character development, however, if it makes you uncomfortable DO NOT READ THE SECOND PART. You have been warned.**

Vanderwood slams the front door of Seven's house, locking it behind him before he sprints to the front gate. He doesn't have much time before the agency notices his signal is missing and send backup. Upon reaching the gate, the opens the control panel and starts fiddling with the security settings. Damn it, why Arabic, of all languages he had to choose _Arabic...!_ He just needs to change the settings to stall backup for a while. Knowing the boss, he'd probably warrant an explosion to demolish the wall if they couldn't get in quickly.

_Let's see, is there an option to change languages? Come on Seven, give me something to work with here._

He thumbs through options, but none of them work well with his current situation. His anxiety increases, and he breaks into a cold sweat as each second passes.

_Screw it. I'm going into the code._

He's no hacker, but Vanderwood has seen Seven vegetate in front of a computer for so long that he's picked up a thing or two about his method formats. He scrolls down the lines of gibberish when until he finds the languages--

_There it is._

He finds the methods containing the code for the gate's voice. In a brilliant moment of panic, he switches around the gate voice for the Arabic method.

_Hopefully, it will ask the question in Arabic and expect an English answer._

Satisfied, Vanderwood closes the control panel, opens the gate and carefully shuts it behind him. He does a quick double take, checking for any suspicious figures or vehicles on the street. The coast is clear. He speedwalks to his car, swings open the door and slides into the front seat. He inserts the key into the ignition and revs the engine, all the while sorting his thoughts and making sure he hasn't forgotten any details that could possibly jeopardize his slightly-flimsy plan. Oh right-- this is the agency's car, he should destroy the GPS. He pries off a panel on the dashboard to reveal a variety of tools and an off-brand cell phone with an obscure logo etched on the glass. He grabs the phone and promptly snaps it in half over his knee, tossing the shattered device over his shoulder and into the backseat. Then he whips out his own phone and checks to see if Seven has been active...

_What the hell?_

His phone is still offline, but his car is very much active. He is currently doing eighty, speeding down the highway in the middle of nowhere. Vanderwood squints at the screen unbelievingly. He didn't get rid of the GPS. Why...? Does he have a deathwish?

Vanderwood sighs, shoving his phone back in his pocket, shifts gears and starts backing out.

_For a genius hacker, Seven's pretty fucking dumb._

*****

The latte on Jaehee's coffee table is cold, long forgotten by you. You're gaping at the files you found, blown away by what Seven uncovered. No... Perhaps blown away isn't the correct term.

_You are horrified._

Seven's been busy with Mint Eye, that's for sure. You're clicking folder after folder, each one unfogging the questions muddled in your brain from lack of communication on Seven's part. You understand now why he didn't want you involved, let alone informed. Just reading this "organization's" philosophy makes your stomach churn in disgust. But you'd much rather be aware what's happening than in the dark about this whole ordeal.

You read through a roster of _the Enlightened--_ Mint Eye's list of religious followers. At the very top, there's a tag with the word _Savior_ and a picture of a very feminine silhouette beneath it. This must be the leader, no doubt about it. You tried finding the source of the photo and maybe figure out who it is, but to no avail. You let out a frustrated sigh and move down the list, all the members containing similar profiles as the Savior, but with more detail about their roles and skill sets. It's difficult to make out their faces completely, as a shadow from their occult robes conveniently covers noticeable features. But you have their names, so that's a start. The farther you go down the list, the more profiles you see, more patterns you start to notice.

_For one, all the followers except for neurologists and pharmacologists seem sickly... Pale, with teal eyes eerily similar to the hacker's. There's no way that's a coincidence, right? I'll check for anything on drugs..._

But before you closed out of the folder, a profile of the hacker catches your eye. You freeze.  
  
**[ Saeran Choi --- UNKNOWN ]**  
 **|| Occupation: Hacker ||**  
 **|| Age: 22 ||**  
 **|| WARNING: Subject maintains high tolerance to enlightenment. Monitor at all times. Provide double dosage every two weeks. Immediately notify Savior if enlightenment is rejected or ineffective. ||**

_Double dosage of enlightenment... It sounds like a medical screening or experiment. It would explain his hysteria when the bomb started beeping. But how does Seven know the hacker?_

You read through his information again, the warning, the age, the occupation, the name... His name. He has the same last name as Seven. Your eyes widen in shock. Are they related somehow? They're the same age, so maybe they're cousins? It's a fairly logical answer, but then again Choi is a fairly common last name. You screenshot the picture of Saeran and pull it up in a previewer, then expand and auto-adjust the image. It's difficult to say... The poor guy looks so malnourished and tired, but if you squint...

_They look almost identical._

You know that feeling you get from a person, situation, or thought that makes you have a massive epiphany? Like your intuition, your instincts, and your logic joined forces and created an answer that you know in your heart just can't be wrong? In this moment you had that epiphany. You're _sure_ Saeran and Luciel Choi are related. Not only that, your gut is telling you that they're twins.

"No wonder he was so frantic about tracking the hacker." You muse aloud, running your hand through your hair. With this speculation, you close out of the followers' roster quickly to find out what exactly they're doing to Saeran and the others. If he and Seven are actually related, let alone _twins_ , you can guarantee that Seven's going to do something rash and get himself into some serious shit. You're going to stop him, even though you're literally being just as reckless as him.

_Let's shrug off that last minor detail._

Mint Eye's files all have relatively vague names and destinations, so finding the right data is a matter of your fantastic intuition. And your fantastic intuition is wanting you to click on the sketchy little file named _[ PreAlpha_drug_development.zip ]_. Ignoring the your laptop's warnings about opening files from unidentified developers, you press continue and unzip the file. A new window pops up, containing text documents and a folder filled with images that you aren't too keen on looking through yet. However, you do click on _[ Subjectcase_2_Choi ]_ and proceed to read through the page.

**|| Subject num. 2 --- Saeran Choi // See personal profile for current dosages ||**  
**|| Prescription: phencyclidine(3)(CAS ID: _77-10-1_ ) --- lysergic acid diethylamide(1)(CAS ID: _50-37-3_ ) ||**

Phencyclidine. That's the chemical name for angel dust. Is this _Savior_ prescribing illegal hallucinogens to these people?

You pull up your browser for a quick search. _Phencyclidine:_

  
**||- Summary -||**  
 **|| Street names: angel dust, PCP, zoom, boat, amp, belladonna ||**  
 **|| Methods of use: ingested, snorted, injected, or smoked, often sprinkled into other drugs. ||**  
 **|| Short-term effects: decreased sensitivity to pain, bizarre or hostile behavior, hallucinations, nausea, salivation, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, depression, agitation, euphoria, staring, confusion, terror, muscular rigidity ||**  
 **|| Long-term effects: addiction, toxic psychosis, tolerance, dependence, flashbacks, severe paranoia, mental illness, stuttering, memory problems ||**

The farther you read, the further your heart sinks. Saeran has been taking _double dosages_ of angel dust, with whatever the hell lysergic acid diethylamide is. It's incredible he's still alive, let alone holding on to sanity. You close your browser and go back to his file. Below the prescription is a blank square filled with notes.

**|| Subject violently resisted treatment for the first week. The subject demanded to see his brother. All other speech was incomprehensible. Sedative was required for forced ingestion, in which the nervous system responded negatively to excess dioxans, causing the liver to be damaged. Proper medication was provided. After two weeks of increasing enlightenment, hallucinations took effect and hysteria ceased. Subject reported lightheadedness, a lack of pain, confusion, and aggression towards Saeyoung Choi. Case successful. Welcome to the Everlasting Party. ||**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello yes I'm updating later tonight ♡ I'm keeping you on your toes, aren't I


	9. Rude Telephone Lady and Concerned Cat Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't eaten or slept at all
> 
> if the RFA knew they'd surely send the fire department

_"Our rates are $2.80 per mile, and your destination is quite a distance... Are you sure about this, ma'am?"_

"Yes, I'm positive. I have enough cash, please send the taxi as soon as possible."

_"Of course. Wait time is approximately fifteen minutes. Thank you for choosing our cab service, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call."_

"Thank you so--"

**Click.**

Taken aback, you pull the phone away from your ear. The cab service lady hung up on you mid-sentence. How peachy. You shrug it off, assuming she was just having a bad day, or maybe sick of her job. You know you'd be too, if you were in her shoes. But you still wouldn't be rude...

_Whatever. Karma will catch up to her._

You have to make one more call to Jaehee before you leave. Just to let her know you're okay. She's at work, so she probably won't pick up. You heard her mention once that she wasn't allowed to have personal phone conversations, but you can still leave her a voicemail. You type her number into the keypad and let it ring. Once... Twice... Thrice...

_"You have reached Jaehee Kang, Director Jumin Han's assistant. I am currently in a meeting right now, or cannot answer the phone due to work. If there is an issue with C &R's system, please call the assistant office's landline or fax. If you email to jaehee@cheritz.com, I will read it as soon as possible. Or, please leave a message after the tone. Thank you."_

**Beep.**

"Hey Jaehee, I'm leaving the apartment. I'm not completely sure how long I'll be gone, but I'll be back tomorrow in time for the party... probably. And, uh, my phone's broken, so you won't be able to reach me. But if anything happens I'll find a way to contact you or the other RFA guys. I vacuumed up all the cat fur everywhere, organized the linens closet and bought groceries. Don't worry about paying me back, it's the least I could do for you. Uhm... Sorry, I'm really not good at leaving voicemails... Oh right, one last thing! I saw you have quite the collection of coffee. I was wondering what that was about, and maybe we take a day off sometime and brew a bit! Just throwing that out there. Okay okay, I'm done talking. Man... there really is no graceful way to end a voicemail... Don't worry about me, and I'll be back soon. Bye bye!"

You sigh, hanging up the home phone and collecting yourself briefly. You're going to do this. You're going go to Mint Eye and find Seven, and when you do, you're going to help him save his maybe-twin-brother. And then... You don't really know what comes next, but it's best to take things one at a time.

_Just roll with the punches, (Y/N)._

You glance over at your messenger bag, packed with only the essentials. Your wallet, a ring with both Rika and Jaehee's apartment keys, laptop, charger, note-taking supplies, and a small pocket knife you found in the depths of Jaehee's kitchen drawers. You're a little unprepared, but you don't have much time as it is. According to Seven's cloud, his car has on the move. Unless someone stole it or it was carnapped by aliens and are heading straight for Mint Eye's headquarters, you're pretty sure that he's on his way to find Saeran.

_Didn't the cab lady say the taxi'll be here in fifteen minutes? Maybe I should wait out front._

You grab your bag, double check your belongings and head for the door.

***** _Five minutes earlier_ *****

"Mr. Han, if we don't drive back to C&R you'll be late for your meeting. Are you sure you don't want to send someone from the company to deliver the message?"

Driver Kim peeks into the rearview mirror with a worried look. Jumin, however, is unaffected. He's sitting in his seat, eyes closed and arms folded. He'd actually seem relaxed if he didn't look as stiff as a pole.

"If I'm canceling plans, I'm doing it in person." He says firmly, not bothering to look up. This whole morning was a load of trouble for him. His patron, who didn't have enough importance to the operation of his company, was furious at the unexpected rescheduling of their meeting. He would've just dropped him as a client, but that would be bad for C&R's reputation, which was dangling by a thread as it is due to his father's latest girlfriend. So he has to apologize and follow through with his original plans. And _then_ he'll drop his client. Irritation radiates from him, signifying that the conversation is over. Kim didn't push it, but he does ask:

"But... Why, sir? It's very rare for you to go out of your way for non-business relations." He inquires and averts his eyes back to the road. Jumin sighs quietly, furrowing his eyebrows in thought.

"I have yet to find out myself." He answers simply, "I'd appreciate it if you refrained from asking questions. Please drive in silence."

"Of course, sir. I'm sorry for intruding." Kim nods quickly, a faint smile tugging at his face. He has a rough idea why Mr. Han is seeing (Y/N) without compromise...

*****

As Seven drives eighty miles per hour, his mind is racing a million. Because contrary to popular belief: high levels of adrenaline and anxiety doesn't spike your precision and control, it depletes it. Or rather, you're so focused on your goal and the dangers along with it that you forget technicalities. His head is on fire right now, he knows this, and yet he let's his anxiety get the best of him. His agency _specifically trained him_ how to deal with distress during missions, but all that is useless now, with you on his mind. He glances at his phone, trying his hardest not to look at Jaehee's CCTV. It's been four minutes since he checked... His record for keeping his hands off is four minutes fifty-eight seconds. His face contorts into a grimace and his grip on the steering wheel tightens.

_Don't check don't check don't check don't check. Concentrate on something else. Focus on Saeran. Focus on literally **anyone or anything else**._

He grabs his phone.

_Fuck._

He unlocks it, opening the CCTV program while keeping his eyes on the road. There's no other cars around as far as he can see, but you can't be too careful. He slows down a bit when the camera comes online, and stares at the screen. Weird. For the first time since Jaehee left for work, the front door's open. And from what he can tell...

_There's a figure standing in the doorway._

His heart leaps to his throat. He can't tell who it is, but it's definitely not you. The shadows are much more masculine. Oh god, what if Vanderwood found you? You have no idea what's going on, but he sure as hell wouldn't believe you even if you told the truth. 

_Wait, wait... Calm down, Luciel. Don't jump to conclusions just yet._

He quickly pulls over his car and idles the engine. Watching the video feed carefully, he sees the figure shift and step into the hallway. When he see's the figure's face, relief washes over him and he lets go of the breath he didn't know he was holding.

_It's only Jumin. Probably there to drop off Elizabeth or something..._

He's about to lock his phone and continue driving, but Jumin holds the door open, moves aside and then... You step out. 

Seven stops. Completely. He didn't realize until now how much... How much he missed you. Your face alone lifts his spirits, but for some reason, you don't seem to be doing well. It hasn't been long since he last saw you, but you've deteriorated a lot. You have dark circles that match his to a tee, you hadn't bothered to change out of your sweatshirt, your shoulders are slumped, you look pale... Have you been eating? You just... Emanate exhaustion. He rests his head on the steering wheel, holding his phone close to his face.

_She still looks cute..._

Jumin says something to you, in which you smile gratefully and nod, adjusting your messenger bag over your shoulder. He closes the door and approaches you, extending an arm for you take. Seven clenches his jaw.

_Don't touch her. Don't._

You seem startled at the approach, and you're not sure how to react. You say something, shake your head and point towards the apartment lobby. Jumin frowns slightly and lets his arm fall to his side. He then steps closer, pulls out his phone and gestures to it while asking you something. You glimpse at the device, then look back at him and shrug sheepishly. He tries to hand it to you, but you shake your head again, saying something with a lot of hand gestures. You're backing away, towards the lobby... Seven narrows his eyes.

_Where is she going? Isn't she leaving with Jumin?_

Jumin stands there blankly, processing what just happened. Soon you're off the screen, and he follows you, phone still in hand. Seven watches the empty hallway a minute before closing out of the CCTV program. He's tempted to text you. He desperately wants to know what's going on, but there's no way you'd tell him. Especially with how reclusive he's been with the hacker ordeal. Besides...

_I can't get close to her._

He hates having to remind himself, but it's the harsh reality.


	10. Do These Feelings Come With A Receipt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but i wanted to post something so here take it

Your taxi is going to arrive in a few moments and you've found yourself in quite the pickle. That pickle would be a very concerned director and an equally stressed company chauffeur.

"(Y/N), I'm sorry to pry, but your safety is important to the RFA." Jumin states almost-professionally. That is, he'd be more professional if he wasn't anxiously twisting the cuff of his sleeve. You're waiting by the road next to the apartment entrance, rocking back and forth on your heels and trying to calm your nerves. You want to tell Jumin what's happening, you really do, but you know how he'll react. He'll stop you, maybe hire someone to do the work, or worst of all, call the police. You can't have that happen, you can't drag him into this, _especially_ with all the life-threatening information you have tucked away. 

You know you're protecting him and Seven, but even so you're heavy with guilt. It feels terrible... You loath yourself for having to lie.

_Is this how Seven felt?_

Your heart sinks to your toes and you stop rocking your feet. You curse internally.

_Stop it (Y/N). You're giving him excuses again. You're romanticizing him. Just, stop. Stop. You know how this'll end._

You feels two hands hold your shoulders firmly.

"(Y/N), are you okay?"

You snap your head up to see Jumin looking down at you with a blank expression. You blink a few times, attempting to bring yourself back to the present. Jumin's grip on you tightens ever-so-slightly.

"Y-yeah." You rub your eyes in a tired manner, "Yeah, sorry. Just... I was... Lost in thought I guess."

"Are you ill? You're very pale." Jumin's removes one of his hands from your shoulders and brings it to your forehead, "I have a personal physician I can call for you--"

"No!" You exclaim quickly, grabbing both hands and holding them away from yourself. Startled at your sudden outburst, he flinches and takes a step back from you. Shit. You smile weakly and let go of his hands, adjusting your messenger bag awkwardly. He watches you're every movement, gauging all your emotions... Just like he did last night. It's like his eyes are burning a hole through your soul.

"I mean... I'm alright! I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." You give a good-natured laugh, but Jumin doesn't seem too convinced.

"I implore you, please, tell me where you're planning to go. You're important to m-- the RFA." He frowns, holding out his phone for the fifth time this morning, "Or borrow my phone until the party. I would like a way to contact you."

You look at the device in his outstretched hand.

_It's really sweet of him to be so worried, but... I shouldn't burden him. Should I just agree to the phone deal? Maybe he'll take it down a notch if I do... Augh, I bet it has a tracker in it though! Is there any way I can avoid confrontation?_

You hear the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up to the curb, and your eyes flit in the direction of the noise. Your cab is here. Again, the thoughts of what is to come in the next few hours return. And again, nerves start acting up and you start bouncing on your heels in your anxiety.

"(Y/N)." Jumin says gravely, "Take the phone and don't be late for the party. These are my only requests."

His pressure got to you. You caved.

"Okay! Okay." You squeak, hesitantly taking the director's phone. He withdraws his arm and crosses it with his other, watching you attentively. You squirm a little under his unwavering gaze. Does this guy want to try you in a staring contest? Is that what's happening here? If so, he should stop because at this he's already won.

With a half-smile on your face, you carefully slip it into your hoodie pocket then cast a furtive glance in the direction of the cab.

"Th-thank you. For being here for me." You utter softly, nodding to Jumin before walking towards the car, "I'll keep in touch and I won't be late tomorrow, so don't worry."

"Worrying is my part of my job. Quite literally." He turns to you and remarks matter-of-factly, "And I always do a job well. Oh, also... the passcode to my phone is 2013. That's a little important."

"Yeah, a little." You snort, opening the car door and tossing your bag into the backseat, quickly following. You send Jumin one last look before saying:

"Thanks Jumin. I'm sorry I can't tell you what's happening..."

"This is the third time you've said thank you and the fourth time you've said sorry in the last hour." He cocks his head, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips, "You're very odd, (Y/N)."

"But I can't seem to thank you enough!" You protest jokingly, grinning, "...And I'm not entirely sure how that relates to my oddity, but thanks."

Jumin opens his mouth to say something, but you shut the door before he could get the first word out. He sees you mouth something to the cabbie, then face the window and wave at him as the car pulls away. Dejected, he watches you go until you turn the corner and are out of sight.

"This is very unlike me..." He mumbles, furrowing his brow. You're really something else, that's for sure. He's much more comfortable being around you than most women- no, most _people_ he's met. Why are you so different?

_Her smile made me feel rather warm._

Thinking about you brought on a wave of what he could only describe as... Pleasant... nausea. Not wanting to explore the thought any further, he leaves it at that. He makes his way back to the company car, running his hand through his hair. He feels rather antsy...

"Mr. Han, sir." Kim greets him through the rearview mirror as he slides into the backseat, "Are you ready to-- Whoa."

Kim's eyes widen and he turns around in his seat.

"Do you have a fever? You're so red--"

"Just drive." Jumin splutters awkwardly, shifting away from Kim and staring out the window.


End file.
